Tender, and chocolatey with a perfect crumb, not only does this wacky cake recipe call for a simple list of ingredients, but the batter for this 8×8 chocolate cake recipe mixes up entirely in the pan – that’s just how easy it is!

I make this cake all the time. It’s my kid’s fave! Though I’ve iced it in the photos you see here, oftentimes I leave it unfrosted with only a dusting of powdered sugar and/or serve it up with a dollop of whipped cream.

This simple chocolate cake is so good with a cup of coffee or tea, or for a easy dessert after dinner.

Table of Contents

• What is Wacky Cake and Why is it Called That?!
• The Story Behind the Recipe
• Why You’ll Love This Chocolate Wacky Cake Recipe
• Ingredients
• Recipe Variations & Substitutions
• How to Make Wacky Cake
• Frosting Ideas for Chocolate Wacky Cake
• More Chocolate Cake Recipes

• Jump to the Full, Printable Recipe

What is Wacky Cake and Why is it Called That?!

Wacky Cake is an American classic that dates back at least 100 years. Some claim it originated around the time of World War I, others say it took off during the Great Depression or even World War II.

What most can agree on is that it came about during times when eggs, butter, and milk were in short supply or simply not available, so traditional cake recipes weren’t possible. And this inventive chocolate wacky cake was born! (learn more about the origin of Wacky Cake here.)

The Story Behind the Recipe

Like many of you, I’m sure, I grew up on this cake. My mom called it “Crazy Cake,” and it pains the nostalgic side of me to not call it the same thing. But in the interest of inclusive language, I’m going with the other popular name: Wacky Cake. It’s also sometimes called Depression Cake. Whether you call it crazy cake, wacky cake, or depression cake, it’s a chocolate cake that’s easy and delicious!

My mom made this cake at least once per month. She served up the big fluffy squares with a generous dollop of Cool Whip, which is a serving suggestion I highly recommend. (Another cake recipe I recently published is this delicious vintage hazelnut cake that my Mom used to make and serve with Cool Whip, too. It was a staple in our house!)

But it’s excellent with a light layer of chocolate buttercream, too.

Why You’ll Love This Chocolate Wacky Cake Recipe

It’s super easy to make. Like ridiculously easy! The batter for this simple chocolate cake recipe mixes together right in the pan. It doesn’t get easier than that.

It’s delicious. Chocolatey, tender, moist. Everything you want in a chocolate cake from scratch recipe.

It’s dairy-free and vegan. It wasn’t designed for the vegan diet, but it is one of those awesome recipes that’s happily vegan just as it is.

Ingredients

• All-purpose flour – bleached or unbleached both work well.
• Sugar – plain old granulated.
• Baking soda – the leavener in our wacky cake, the baking soda reacts with the vinegar to make the cake rise.
• Salt – I like to use fine-grain sea salt for baking. Table salt works, too.
• Cocoa powder – I use plain ol’ Hershey’s unsweetened cocoa powder for chocolate wacky cake
• Canola oil – for a moist, melt-in-your-mouth cake. Vegetable oil works, too.
• Vinegar – I use white vinegar, but apple cider vinegar will work, too. Don’t leave this out or substitute! It’s a strong acid that reacts with the other ingredients to help the cake rise, and is crucial to the success of this recipe.
• Pure vanilla extract – for sweet vanilla flavor.
• Water – not usually considered an official ingredient, but crucial to the formation of wacky cake batter.

Recipe Variations & Substitutions

• Enhance the chocolate flavor by replacing the water with a cup of strong brewed coffee.
• To make it a vanilla wacky cake, omit the cocoa powder and double the vanilla extract.
• Go frosting-less – it’s still delicious! I provide a recipe for small-batch chocolate frosting with this wacky cake recipe for a chocolate frosted wacky cake, but you can omit the frosting and dust with powdered sugar and/or serve with whipped cream. Or, if you’re all about the frosting, scroll down for a bunch of suggestions.

How to Make Wacky Cake

If you’ve never made chocolate depression cake, a.k.a. wacky cake, prepare to be amazed! It’s just a matter of mixing the dry ingredients together, making indentations and pouring in the wet ingredients, mixing it all together, and baking it.

1. Add the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, and salt to an 8×8 pan. You don’t even need to grease the pan first.

2. Mix the dry ingredients together with a whisk, and create three indentations. I like to make a larger indentation for the oil, which, if you want to channel your inner child, naturally creates a happy face! Score!

3. Then, pour the vanilla extract into one small indent, the vinegar into another, and the canola oil into the large indent.

4. Pour the water over the top.

5. Stir until combined. I like to use a flat whisk so I can really get into the corners, but a plastic spatula works great, too.

6. And then, it’s time to bake your wacky cake! Bake just until the middle is set and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Frosting Ideas for Chocolate Wacky Cake

Really, the sky’s the limit for how you want to frost this simple moist chocolate cake recipe. I’ve provided a recipe for chocolate frosting, and that’s what’s photographed here. But you should make it your own! Here are a few ideas:

• Vanilla buttercream
• Cream cheese frosting
• Peanut butter icing
• Nutella buttercream frosting (especially good!)
• Strawberry buttercream (and garnish with strawberries!)
• My mom used to serve up plain squares of this 8×8 chocolate cake recipe with a big dollop of Cool Whip. Highly recommend! Whipped cream or vegan whipping cream are great too.

More Chocolate Cake Recipes

We love chocolate cake here in the Kitchen Treaty house! Here are my other recipes:

• Dairy-Free Chocolate Cake – this is a deep, dark Devil’s food cake recipe with layers and lots of chocolate frosting. Dairy free and entirely vegan!
• American Flag Sheet Cake – the base of this sheet cake recipe is actually based on chocolate wacky cake! Finished off with a vanilla buttercream and a berry flag.
• Chocolate Mint Mug Cake – for when a chocolate craving hits and you need a single-serving cake – NOW!
• Deep Dark Hot Fudge Pudding Cake – Another one my mom used to make. So good with ice cream!

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Chocolate Wacky Cake Recipe

Moist and chocolatey with a tender crumb, this delicious and simple 8×8 chocolate cake recipe defies the laws of baking with NO eggs and NO butter or milk! Plus, the batter mixes up right in the pan. 🤯

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword 8×8 chocolate cake recipe, crazy cake, depression cake, simple chocolate cake, simple moist chocolate cake recipe, wacky cake, wacky cake recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 39 minutes minutes

Servings 9 pieces

Calories 348kcal

Author Kare

Equipment

• 1 8" x 8" baking pan

Ingredients

For the chocolate wacky cake:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 192g
• 1 cup granulated sugar 201g
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 25g
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
• 1/3 cup canola oil 72g; can substitute vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar can substitute apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup water 240g

For the chocolate frosting:

• 1/4 cup unsalted butter 58g; room temperature
• 1 cup powdered sugar 115g
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 35g
• 1-2 tablespoons milk
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions

To make the cake:

• Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (177 degrees Celsius).
• To an 8-inch by 8-inch baking pan, add the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Use a rubber spatula or whisk to combine the ingredients.
• With a spatula or wooden spoon, create three impressions in the flour mixture. I like to make one a bit bigger to contain the oil when we pour it in.
• Add the oil to the larger impression, the vinegar to another impression, and the vanilla to the third impression.
• Pour the water over the top.
• Use a whisk or rubber spatula to mix the batter together, taking care to scrape the flour in from the corners of the pan. Stir just until combined.
• Bake for 25-35 minutes, until the top springs back when you touch it and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
• Place on a wire rack and let cool to room temperature. Leave plain, sift some powdered sugar over the top, or frost with the chocolate frosting recipe provided here or another favorite frosting.

To make the frosting:

• Place the butter in a medium mixing bowl. Using a hand mixer, whip the butter until light and creamy, about 2 minutes.
• Add the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, 1 tablespoon milk, and vanilla extract.
• Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then increase to high speed and beat until lightened in color and creamy, 1-2 more minutes. Add up to one more tablespoon of milk until the frosting is spreadable.
• If the frosting seems too thin to spread, add a little more powdered sugar until it's the consistency you like. If it seems too thick, splash in more milk, a teaspoon at a time, and mix until your desired consistency.
• Frost the cake after it has completely cooled to room temperature. You can use a butter knife, spatula, or I love using an offset spatula for the easiest application.

Notes

Nutrition calculation is for cake only, without frosting or toppings. Nutrition is based on one square of cake when cut into nine squares. 

Vegan option:

The cake recipe as written is vegan and dairy-free, but the buttercream frosting needs a couple simple swaps to keep this a vegan recipe. To make it vegan, swap in a vegan butter and plant-based milk. 

Storage:

As written, wacky cake with chocolate frosting will keep at room temperature, covered, for about 4 days. If you use a cream cheese frosting or another frosting that needs refrigeration, I suggest storing it in the fridge. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1piece | Calories: 348kcal | Carbohydrates: 55g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 14mg | Sodium: 256mg | Potassium: 113mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 36g | Vitamin A: 160IU | Calcium: 15mg | Iron: 2mg

The post Chocolate Wacky Cake Recipe appeared first on Kitchen Treaty.

Table of Contents

• The Story Behind the Recipe
• Why You’ll Love These Carrot Muffins
• Ingredients
• Can I Freeze Carrot Muffins?
• More Carrot Breakfast Recipes

• Jump to the Full, Printable Recipe
• Read Reviews & Comments

If you’re anything like me, you’re in the mood to bake lately. Carefully scooping dry ingredients into one bowl and measuring wet ingredients into another feels familiar; meditative. And then there’s the cozy scent of these Carrot Oatmeal Muffins wafting from the oven. The warm, satisfying end product. So rewarding!

The Story Behind the Recipe

I originally shared this carrot muffin recipe back in 2013, and it was really popular with readers for a couple of years.

But for some reason, it slowly faded into the background, and you know what? These carrot muffins don’t deserve that! They’re one of my all-time favorite muffin recipes, and they deserve to be seen. And made. And devoured (sorry, muffins).

Back in 2013, I threw this recipe together on a whim. It became an instant favorite, and I’ve made these spiced carrot oatmeal muffins dozens of times since then. Maybe even hundreds.

(I also created these carrot pineapple muffins – sort of a fully loaded variation that’s carrot-cake-esque – and they’re so good! What can I say? We’re huge carrot muffin fans around here!)

Why You’ll Love These Carrot Muffins

Well, we’ve covered that they’re melt-in-your-mouth delicious and are guaranteed to make your morning cozy. They also mix up fast, make exactly 12 muffins, and are ready in 25 minutes. Plus, you get the added nutrition of veggies for breakfast!

Here are what readers have said about them:

• “They are perfect! And oh man, do they smell amazing when they’re baking! We love them. Thank you for the recipe!”
• “Awesome muffins, packed full of flavour, reminds me of pumpkin pie. Muffins weren’t overly sweet which I liked. I made a double batch and subbed butter for the oil and added in raisins.”
• “Delicious! They are moist and wonderful. I make these all the time for my little guy who doesn’t like to eat his veggies.”

Ingredients

So what’ve we got for ingredients?

• Flour, first and foremost. All-purpose, please!
• Rolled oats
• Baking powder and baking soda for lift
• Salt
• Warm, familiar spices – cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves.
• Finely shredded carrots
• Milk (plant-based milk if you prefer)
• Applesauce for premium moistness.
• Oil
• Egg

After I scoop these Carrot Oatmeal Muffins into their muffin tins, I like to sprinkle the tops with some more rolled oats, then bake away.

I hope you find these muffins as satisfying to bake (and eat) as we do!

Can I Freeze Carrot Muffins?

Yes! Carrot muffins freeze beautifully. Just place them in an airtight container or freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. To thaw, just let them sit on your kitchen counter at room temperature for about an hour.

More Carrot Breakfast Recipes

• Good Morning Sunshine Muffins – fully loaded carrot muffins with pineapple and coconut
• Mini Carrot Muffins with Chocolate Chips – toddler-sized and toddler-taste-tested!
• Carrot Cake Oatmeal – “cake” for breakfast? Yes please!
• Carrot Mimosas – yep, I went there.
• These Carrot Cake Pancakes are so decadent!

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Carrot Oatmeal Muffins Recipe

Shredded carrots, rolled oats, and plenty of warm, cozy spices make up these tender-yet-hearty muffins. They’re like a hug in a muffin wrapper!

Keyword carrot and oatmeal muffins, carrot muffins, carrot oatmeal muffins

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 12 muffins

Calories 239kcal

Author Kare

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour can sub 1 cup for whole wheat flour or all for white whole wheat flour
• 1 cup rolled oats plus a couple extra tablespoons for topping
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 cup milk*
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce**
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 1 large egg
• 2-3 medium carrots finely grated [about 2 cups]

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease or place cupcake wrappers in a standard-size, 12-cup muffin pan.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, 1 cup oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and ginger.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, applesauce, brown sugar, canola oil, egg, and carrots.
• Pour the wet ingredients over the dry and whisk just until all ingredients are incorporated.
• Divide the mixture between the muffin cups. I like to use an ice cream scoop for this – so easy! Cups should be filled just about to the top.
• Bake until muffin tops spring back when poked and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 20-22 minutes
• Allow to cool for about 10 minutes before removing from the muffin tin.
• Serve plain or with butter (or vegan butter) if desired.

Notes

Storage Notes

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 – 3 days. To freeze, place them in an airtight container or freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. To thaw, just let them sit on your kitchen counter at room temperature for about an hour.

* Dairy-free option:

Use unsweetened almond milk or unsweetened soy milk.

**Applesauce substitution:

If you don’t have applesauce, some readers have reported subbing mashed banana with success. I will often bake these muffins without the applesauce at all, increasing the oil to 2/3 cup.

Recipe revision notes:

In 2020, I updated this recipe from the original I posted in 2013. The changes are as follows: To simplify, I call for all-purpose flour instead of a mix of all-purpose and whole wheat (but included flour options). Removed the 2 teaspoons vanilla extract because I think the spices add enough flavor. Changed the oil from vegetable oil to canola oil because the latter is considered to contain healthier fats. Feel free to use vegetable oil if you prefer; coconut oil and olive oil are also nice options.

Nutrition

Serving: 1muffin | Calories: 239kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 16mg | Sodium: 275mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 16g

The post Spiced Carrot Oatmeal Muffins Recipe appeared first on Kitchen Treaty.

Table of Contents

• The Story Behind the Recipe
• What is Devil’s Food?
• About This Recipe
• Dairy-Free Chocolate Cake Ingredients
• How to Make this Two-Layer Chocolate Cake
• Equipment Note
• More Dairy-Free Cake Recipes

• Jump straight to the full, printable recipe
• I’m just here for the comments!

The Story Behind the Recipe

Originally, when I was brainstorming recipes for Halloween season, I wanted to create a devil’s food cake recipe – a deep dark chocolate cake – that had big red marzipan devil horns. Because Halloween! And Devil’s food! And maybe someday, I’ll give that a whirl, and if I do, I’ll be sure to share it here.

But the truth is, this is a devil’s food cake for anytime of year, and devil horns won’t quite translate as well in March as they would in October. So, please imagine the devil-horn cuteness that the season calls for, and then let’s carry on with what is now my favorite dairy-free chocolate cake recipe.

What is Devil’s Food?

Devils Food is simply a rich, deep, dark chocolate cake. I originally called this a vegan devil’s food cake (because it’s vegan too – did I mention that?!) Ultimately, I decided to rename it dairy-free chocolate cake because more people search for those words.

About This Recipe

First, for the chocolate two-layer cake itself, I adapted this devil’s food “Hostess” cupcakes recipe from Isa Chandra Moskowitz. I doubled the recipe and played with the sugar/maple syrup ratio, otherwise, I kept it pretty close to the original. It’s pretty perfect (and I need to try those cupcakes soon). I love how the cake layers are nice and sturdy – who wants to deal with fragile, broken layers when trying to assemble a special cake?! And the dairy-free cake itself is moist with a dense dark chocolate flavor. So good.

For the buttercream, I played with this recipe from Connoisseurus Veg, changing around the measurements here and there and reducing the overall volume so we’d have the perfect amount for this dairy-free chocolate cake.

Dairy-Free Chocolate Cake Ingredients

Chocolate cake:

• Flour: I use all-purpose flour.
• Cocoa powder: A good dose of it! I like the darker stuff for the richest, most decadent chocolate cake.
• Baking powder & baking soda: Typical cake leavening agents. Gotta get that rise!
• Sea salt: Highlights and amplifies the flavor and balances some of the sweetness.
• Soy milk: Plain, unsweetened dairy-free milk please. Oat milk or almond milk would work well, too.
• Canola oil: Key for a moist dairy free cake.
• Sugar: Plain ol’ granulated white sugar.
• Pure maple syrup: Adds moisture and sweetness.
• Apple cider vinegar: A bit of acid helps activate the leavening ingredients, fluffing up the cake a bit.
• Pure vanilla extract: Because vanilla and chocolate are BFFs!

Dairy-free chocolate buttercream frosting:

• Vegan butter: Sometimes vegan butters can taste a little off. I tested this recipe with both Earth Balance and Melt brand vegan butters. The most reliable texture was gained from the Earth Balance, but the flavor is out-of-this-world perfect with the Melt. However, I had problems with some of the Melt batches coming out grainy. I solved that problem by whipping the milk with the butter first as the source recipe calls for, but I just want to put it out there – if you try a different type of vegan butter, your buttercream may turn out a little different. 
• Soy milk: Unsweetened. And again, feel free to sub in another dairy-free milk.
• Dutch-process cocoa powder
• Pure vanilla extract
• Powdered sugar

How to Make this Two-Layer Chocolate Cake

First, make the cake. I like to use my stand mixer to beat together the wet ingredients, mix the dry ingredients in a separate bowl, and then add the dry ingredients to the wet.

Then, pour the batter into the greased pans. The batter is pretty runny, but trust me – the cake will be phenomenal!

Bake just until the tops spring back when you poke them with your finger, cool a bit, then spring the cake rounds free from their pans and let them cool completely.

Next, it’s frosting time! Blend the ingredients in a mixer until smooth and glossy.

To assemble and frost your dairy free chocolate cake, add some frosting to one of the cake rounds and spread it evenly. Top with the second layer, then proceed with your crumb coat. A crumb coat is simply a thin layer of frosting that holds the crumbs in. I frost the sides first, then the top.

After that, I add the thicker layer of frosting. Swoop and swirl however you like. And your chocolate dairy free cake is complete!

Equipment Note

I like to bake this cake in 8-inch pans so that the finished product is nice and tall. But I’m sure it will work in 9-inch pans, too – they might just be done baking a couple of minutes earlier.

This is one of those winning chocolate cake recipes that might happen to be dairy-free and vegan, but is really delicious for everyone. I’m so excited to now have a reliable, delicious homemade chocolate dairy-free cake recipe in my arsenal that I can pull out for birthdays and special occasions!

I hope you love this recipe as much as we do. If so, please come on back and rate the recipe so others know it’s a keeper too! (And if not, please come back and let me know too – that helps me troubleshoot if there’s anything going wrong with my recipes out there in the wild.)

More Dairy-Free Cake Recipes

• Chocolate Wacky Cake is super easy to make, mixing up right in the pan and using NO eggs and NO dairy! It’s so good.
• Mom’s Hazelnut Cake is a light and fluffy vintage cake that’s sort of a hybrid between nut cake and angel food cake, and it’s naturally dairy-free!
• This dairy-free and vegan pineapple upside down cake is so moist and caramelly!
• These hummingbird cupcakes with their dried pineapple flowers are so special looking and have a dairy-free option.
• If you’re feeling patriotic, this American flag sheet cake is dairy-free and the frosting can be easily made dairy-free/vegan too!
• Mug cakes are the perfect way to get a quick serving of cake in when you’re craving it. This vegan peanut butter mug cake is so good! I love this chocolate mint mug cake too.
• Quick bread is basically cake in loaf form, so I must share this Dairy-Free Banana Bread recipe too. It’s the best!

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Devil’s Food Cake

Deep, dark, rich, moist, and luxuriously everything chocolate cake should be – but dairy-free and vegan!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Calories 683kcal

Author Kare

Equipment

• 2 8-inch cake pans Feel free to use 9-inch, your cake will just be shorter and will take less time to bake.

Ingredients

For the cake:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup dutch process cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
• 2 cups plain unsweetened soy milk
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
• 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

For the frosting:

• 1 cup 2 sticks vegan butter at room temperature (I highly recommend Melt brand; Earth Balance will also work but in my opinion doesn’t taste as good)
• 3-4 tablespoons unsweetened soy milk
• 2/3 cup dutch process cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 4 cups powdered sugar

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease two 8-inch round cake pans with oil or non-stick spray. Set aside.
• Make the cake. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
• Into the bowl of a stand mixer or in another large bowl (to mix with a hand mixer), add the soy milk, oil, sugar, maple syrup, vinegar, and vanilla. Mix on medium speed for two minutes.
• Add half the dry ingredients and mix to blend. Add the remaining dry ingredients and mix at medium speed for 1 minute. The batter will be quite runny. Divide the batter between the two cake pans.
• Bake until the top springs back when you poke it and a toothpick inserted into the center comes back clean, 25 – 30 minutes. Remove the cake pans from the oven and place on wire racks to start cooling. After 10 minutes, run a butter knife around the edges of the cakes to loosen them from the side, then invert onto a wire rack, removing the cake pan. Let cake rounds cool completely, 30-45 minutes. To expedite the cooling process, you can place the cakes in the freezer for about 10 minutes for the fridge for 20.
• Meanwhile, make the frosting. In the clean stand mixer bowl affixed with a beater blade (or in a medium mixing bowl if you are using a hand mixer), add the vegan butter. If you’re using the recommended brand (Melt) and it’s room temperature, it should be very very soft. Add 3 tablespoons of the soy milk and beat until as incorporated as possible. Add the cocoa powder and mix until well combined and glossy. Mix in the vanilla extract. Add the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, beating until incorporated after each addition. Once all the powdered sugar has been added, beat frosting at medium speed for about 1 minute until it has lightened up a bit and is a bit fluffier. If the frosting seems too soft to spread on the cake, add more powdered sugar, 1/2 cup at a time. If it’s too stiff, add more soy milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until the frosting is perfectly spreadable.
• Once the layers are cool, place the first layer on your cake plate. Add about 1/3 of the frosting to the top of the first layer and with a butter knife or offset spatula, smooth to the edges. Top with the second layer. Smooth a thin layer of frosting around the sides of the cake, then add another, thicker layer (the thinner layer first will help hold the crumbs in). Add the remaining frosting to the top of the cake and smooth with the knife or spatula, adding swoops and swirls how you see fit (or smoothing it all out – however you want, it’s your cake!)
• Cut into slices, serve, and enjoy!

Notes

Storage notes

Store lightly covered at room temperature for up to two days. 

Milk substitutes

Unsweetened oat milk or unsweetened almond milk will work, too. 

Gluten-free dairy-free chocolate cake option

I have not made it this way, so please report back if you do and I’ll update the recipe! But I’m confident that a 1-1 gluten-free flour blend will work well in place of the all-purpose flour. 

Source

Cake recipe adapted from Isa Chandra Moskowitz / Buttercream recipe adapted from Connoisseurus Veg

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 683kcal | Carbohydrates: 133g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 420mg | Potassium: 395mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 97g | Vitamin A: 137IU | Calcium: 188mg | Iron: 4mg

The post Dairy-Free Chocolate Cake (Devil’s Food Cake) appeared first on Kitchen Treaty.

I am absolutely in love with banana bread.

I am super thankful that I’ve been having these weird banana cravings lately and thus overbought bananas. And then several of the bananas went overripe and I was like, well obviously we need banana bread in this house. Stat.

I didn’t want any fancy schmancy banana bread. Just the good ol’ classic stuff, no walnuts thank you (blech). A moist, sweet, sturdy-yet-tender simple banana bread loaf that fills the house with that come-hither scent.

Yes, banana bread can be come-hithery. At least, I think so!

“Come hither.”

Okay, so by now I’ve talked about my dairy-free diet a looooot. And so we all know that dairy is no bueno for me. Many banana bread recipes call for butter and/or sour cream, but for dairy-free me, that wasn’t going to work.

So I wanted to come up with a classic banana bread recipe that nixed the dairy yet didn’t miss any of the flavor that dairy adds to the equation.

I started with this highly rated recipe on food.com and made a few tweaks. But just a handful! Because I wanted to keep this nice and simple.

And that it is.

This Easy Dairy-Free Banana Bread recipe comes together super quickly in one bowl. Basically, you mash your bananas (four of them for max banana goodness), then add in the sugars (half granulated sugar and then half dark brown sugar for a bit of flavah) and the oil. Beat in the eggs then stir in the vanilla (a must!). Then, just sift your dry ingredients over the top. Flour, baking soda, salt, and 2 glorious teaspoons of cinnamon. Aaaaand stir!

(Psst: If you prefer a no-egg, completely vegan situation, check out these Super-Moist Vegan Banana Bread Muffins.)

This perfect banana loaf takes a bit of time to cook – in my 8.5″ x 5″ baking pan it takes almost a full hour. WORTH IT. Inhale the luscious scent that wafts, cartoon-like, about your house and out your windows, luring your neighbors.

See, totally come-hither.

Other delicious dairy-free quick bread recipes

• These Super-Moist Vegan Banana Bread Muffins are absent dairy AND eggs but NOT absent moisture and flavor! Love these.
• In the fall, nothing hits the spot like this dairy-free Spiced Pumpkin Gingerbread. So moist and full of flavor!
• This pumpkin bread recipe is dairy-free AND gluten-free!
• This Zucchini Bread is such a unique twist on a classic, with olive oil, lemon, and cardamom. A fave!

If you try this recipe, please leave a rating! And, if you find it share-worthy – which I hope you do – please share. Tag #kitchentreaty on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest, and don’t forget to check out my other recipes!

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Easy Dairy-Free Banana Bread

Super moist, sturdy-yet-tender, and full of flavor. This classic banana bread recipe hits all the marks - no dairy necessary!

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Keyword banana bread, quick bread

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 10

Calories 306kcal

Author Kare

Ingredients

• 4 very ripe medium bananas
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup canola oil*
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a standard-size loaf pan (mine is 4.5" x 8.5"). Set aside.
• To a large mixing bowl, add the bananas. Using a potato masher, smash until as smooth as possible. Stir in the sugar and canola oil. Add the eggs and whisk together until smooth. Whisk in the vanilla.
• Set a fine-mesh sieve over the bowl. Add the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt to the sieve. Sift over the wet ingredients. Using a spatula, fold the dry ingredients into the wet, just until combined.
• Pour into the prepared loaf pan.
• Bake until middle is set and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean, 45 - 55 minutes (if you're using a larger pan than my 4.5" x 8.5" pan, start checking at around the 45 minute mark. For the smaller pan, it'll take a bit more time to cook in the middle - closer to 55 minutes).
• Remove from oven and let the loaf cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. Use a butter knife to loosen the sides of the loaf then gently invert the pan to remove the loaf. Let cool on a wire rack.
• Wrap in plastic wrap to store. Bonus: The plastic wrap also makes it nice and moist. Yum!

Notes

* I've also used coconut oil (liquidified) with success.

Adapted from food.com.

Nutrition

Calories: 306kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 33mg | Sodium: 359mg | Potassium: 216mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 27g | Vitamin A: 78IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 23mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Easy Dairy-Free Banana Bread appeared first on Kitchen Treaty.

Did I just make you cringe? I want to say people either hate or love the word, but really, it’s more like hate or … tolerate.

In this case, I hope you can tolerate, because “moist” is a really good thing when we’re talking cake, am I right? Especially pineapple upside down cake – and this vegan pineapple upside down cake definitely embodies the word.

Golden, caramely, bites of juicy pineapple, and – yes – moist vanilla cake. Nothing better, am I right?

For this vegan pineapple upside down cake recipe, I set out to create something that tasted just like the traditional version that’s made with dairy and eggs. But I didn’t want it to be overly complicated. And it’s not! We’re talking pineapple and brown sugar in a skillet, then a super easy (and I mean easy!) cake batter made with oil, applesauce, reserved pineapple juice, flour, sugar, vanilla (lots of it!) and not much else.

The first time I sort of winged (wung?) it and it came out (muy delicioso hand gesture) so good! I was actually kind of floored. And happy. Because having a recipe work out perfectly the very first time in food blogger land is a happy, happy thing.

Okay, so we’ve got pineapple. Sliced, because of course. Grab your cast-iron pan (a must) and warm the pineapple slices along with the brown sugar.

Yum.

And then some maraschino cherries. I chose vegetable-dyed maraschinos but if you’re not strict about it, go traditional. (Note that some maraschino cherries are not vegan – you can find more details here.)

And then, something I’ve never put into pineapple upside down cake before but they do it here and I thought hey, why not – an entire can of crushed pineapple! Just drain then get that pineapple into all the nooks and crannies. Trust me. So worth it.

Then, the cake batter! It whips together so simply and takes but one bowl and a minute or so to whip up. Glorious, glorious, glorious.

Bake that bad boy, let cool for a bit, and flip!

Oh, glorious cake. Glorious, moist, golden cake.

I mean, I’m sorry! But it’s true!

More Vegan Cake Recipes

• This dairy-free and vegan chocolate cake is so moist and chocolatey! It’s a go-to anytime someone requests chocolate cake. . 
• Flag cakes are so nostalgic! American flag sheet cake is vegan and the frosting can be easily made dairy-free/vegan too!
• Mug cakes are a brilliant way to tame a sweet tooth. Vegan peanut butter mug cake is so rich! I adore this chocolate mint mug cake also.

Print

Vegan Pineapple Upside Down Cake

The classic melt-in-your-mouth skillet cake with a brown sugar pineapple topping. And veganized … but you’d never know it!

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Author Kare

Ingredients

Pineapple layer:

• 2 tablespoons Earth Balance vegan butter can sub regular butter if not vegan
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
• 1 20-ounce can sliced pineapple, drained (reserve the juice!)
• 1 20-ounce can crushed pineapple, drained well

Cake:

• 1/2 cup applesauce
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup reserved pineapple juice
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder

Equipment:

• One 10-inch cast-iron skillet
• 12- inch or larger cake platter

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Place skillet over medium heat. Add the butter. Once it melts, stir in the brown sugar and cook, stirring constantly, until the sugar melts, about two minutes. Remove from heat and add the drained sliced pineapple. Place maraschino cherries in pineapple holes. Spread drained crushed pineapple into the crevices and over the top. Use it all!
• To a large mixing bowl, add the applesauce, canola oil, sugar, pineapple juice, and vanilla. Mix until combined. Place a fine-mesh sieve over the top of the bowl. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt and sift over the wet ingredients. Using a wooden spoon or spatula, mix the dry ingredients with the wet until incorporated.
• Spread the batter evenly over the top of the pineapple.
• Bake for about 35 minutes, until the cake begins to turn golden brown on the top and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake layer comes out clean.
• Remove from oven and let cool for about 10 minutes.
• Time to flip! Have a large cake plate or tray ready. Loosen the sides of the cake with a butter knife. Place the platter upside down over the top of the skillet and quickly flip the skillet over, inverting the cake onto the platter.
• Serve immediately (vegan vanilla ice cream or vegan whipped cream are great partners!) or let cool completely then refrigerate until ready to serve. Cake keeps well in the fridge for up 2-3 days.

Notes

Adapted from Food Network

The post Vegan Pineapple Upside Down Cake appeared first on Kitchen Treaty.

And oftentimes, by the time I’ve altered a recipe to be dairy-free, it just makes sense to go all the way and make it 100% plant-based. Not because I have to personally, but because I want to!

But I also want everyone around me – meat-eaters and vegans alike – to love my recipes. So it’s kind of a personal challenge for me to make awesome-tasting vegan recipes for all. 

Take these Vegan Chocolate Crinkle Cookies. All I really needed to do was start with a solid recipe and swap the eggs for a vegan-friendly binder. Okay, so I made a couple other changes, too, but the eggs are the most important. My first choice for vegan baking is usually flax eggs – simply ground flaxseeds (or flax meal) and water mixed together. After the mixture sits for a few minutes, the flaxseed gels, and voila! Instant binder, no eggs needed! 

Because the flax eggs alter the recipe, I also found a needed to make another couple of tweaks in order to achieve those perfect crinkles that we know and love in chocolate crinkle cookies.

First, I added a bit of baking soda just to really help the cookies expand and make those nice big cracks we expect from perfect chocolate crinkle cookies. Second, I roll the cookies in granulated sugar first, before the powdered sugar. The granulated sugar helps soak up some of the excess moisture that the vegan dough has in it. Both of these tips I got from this page – I have no idea who these people are, but I found the info to be incredibly useful!

Oh, and I added a bit more vanilla. Because vanilla.

And boom! Christmas-cookie-platter-worthy chocolate crinkle cookies right here, baby! Honestly, we can’t even tell the difference between these vegan chocolate crinkle cookies and their traditional counterpart. 

They’re sweet, with a bit of crunch on the outside thanks to the sugar, and then soft, fudgy, and almost brownie-like inside. 

The perfect holiday cookie, vegan style. But you don’t have to be a vegan to love ’em – promise!

The post Vegan Chocolate Crinkle Cookies appeared first on Kitchen Treaty.